Vehicle lift



1966 1. v. K. HOT-f ETAL 3,291,259

VEHICLE LIFT Filed Oct. 20. 1965 INVENTORS ION V. K. HOTT United States Patent 3,291,259 VEHICLE LIFT Ion V. K. Hott and David M. Goldzwig, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Joyce-Cridland Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,951 4 Claims. (Cl. 187--8.41)

This invention relates to a vehicle lift and more particularly to structure for adjusting the position of a movable lift post relative to lift points on the underbodies of vehicles.

One type of vehicle lift installation incorporates a pair of lift posts mounted in floor pits. One lift post engages lift points on the underbody of the vehicle to be lifted toward the front of the vehicle while the other engages lift points, often the axle, at the rear of the vehicle. Because of variations in the separation between the front and rear lift points, one of the lift posts, normally the front, is mounted for movement longitudinally of the vehicle to be lifted. In normal use, a vehicle is driven over the two lift posts and positioned such that it is properly placed over the rear lift post. The front lift post is then moved longitudinally to its proper position. For many years considerable effort has been made to provide some mechanism for easily adjusting the position of the movable lift post. The weight and resistance to movement of the movable lift post coupled with the relative inaccessibility of the movable lift post beneath the vehicle to be lifted renders manual adjustment of its position awkward and difficult. For this reason, efforts have been made to move the movable lift post by remote operation through the use of chains or gears and the like. Past efforts have met with some success but invariably add considerably to the installed cost of the lift installation.

Anobject of this invention is to provide a simple and rugged yet inexpensive device which can be used to adjust the position of a movable lift post without the difiiculties and awkwardness encountered in the past.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a simplified tool for use in adjusting the position of a movable lift post.

- Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a movable lift post installation made in accordance with this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a simple tool used for adjusting the position of the movable lift post.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing an automobile to be lifted positioned over a lift installation made in accordance with this invention. The rear lift post cannot be seen in FIGURE 3 because it is hidden by the rear wheel of the automobile.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the lift installation as viewed in the direction of section line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, a movable lift post is shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 mounted in a floor pit 12. The lift post 10, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, includes a conventional jacking unit, comprising a lift cylinder 14 and a lift piston or ram 16 along with a superstructure or bolster 18 mounted on top of the piston or ram 16. The bolster 18 supports a pair of slidable lift pads 20 having pivoted portions adapted to engage selected lift points on the underbodies of vehicles to be lifted.

The lift piston 16 is caused to rise and lower in response to introduction of air or oil under pressure into the jacking unit. Controls for the two lift posts in installations of this type are normally located in a common control housing, such as that designated at 24, embedded in the floor adjacent the forward end of the pit 12. Shown projecting above floor level in FIGURE 1 is a control lever 26 used to cause the lift pistons or rams to rise and lower and a metering valve control arm 28 used to control the vertical travel speeds of both the forward and the rearward lift pistons. The method of operation and the specific types of control may be conventional. Control structures such as that indicated at 26 and 28 are shown in the application of Ion V. K. Hott et al., Serial No. 279,568, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on May 10, 1963.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the top of the cylinder 14 has a flange, designated 14a, overlying the margins of an aperture (not shown) in the base of a lift post dolly 30. The dolly 30 is provided with a forwardly extending flange 32 and a rearwardly extending flange 34. The forward flange 32 is mounted, by a pair of depending U-bolts 36, to an axle 38 supported by a pair of forward roller elements 40 on the opposite ends thereof. Similarly, a pair of U- bolts 42 connect an axle 44 to the lower face of the rearward flange 34. The opposite ends of the rear axle 44 are supported by a pair of rearward roller elements 46. In the drawings, only one each of the two pairs of roller elements 40 and 46 can be seen since they are normally hidden from view by cover plates to be described below. The roller elements 40 and 46 roll along tracks formed by lower leg portions 48 of a pair of longitudinally extending, parallel channel members 50 embedded in the floor surrounding the pit 12 along its upper longitudinal margins.

The portion of the pit 12 forwardly of the lift post 10 is covered by a flat, forward cover plate 52 and a flat, rearward cover plate 54 covers that portion of the pit 12 behind the lift post 10. The inner ends of plates 52 and 54 are each connected by two or more bolts, designated 56 and 58, respectively, to the forward and rearward flange portions 32 and 34, respectively, of the dolly 30. The plates 52 and 54 are otherwise supported by a plurality of anti-friction roller elements 64 mounted upon stub axles within brackets 66 welded to the underside of upper leg portions 68 of the channel members 50. To confine and guide the movements of the cover plates 52 and 54, a pair of beads 70 extend longitudinally along the top surfaces of the upper leg portions 68 of the two channel members 50. As shown in FIGURE 1, the free end of the plate 52 will normally rest upon the surface of the floor adjacent the forward end of the pit 12. The free end of the cover plate 54 will likewise rest upon the floor. A pair of springs 60 and 62 coiled about the bolts 56 and 58, respectively, cooperate with roll pins (not shown) passing through the bolts 56 and 58 to prevent the inner ends of the plates 52 and 54 fro-m being too tightly secured to the flanges 32 and 34. If too tightly secured, the plates 52 and 54 would bind on the roller elements 64 or on the upper surfaces of the upper leg portions 68.

The construction of the lift post .10, the rolling dolly 30 and the cover plates 52 and 54, as thus far described, along with a rear lift post suitable for use with the instant invention, are described more \fully in United States Patent No. 3,106,988, (granted to Ion V. K. Hott on October 15, 1963. The aforesaid Patent No. 3,106,988 is directed in part to providing for lightweight pit cover plates which easily roll along the roller elements, designated 64 in the instant specification, and mentions that a suitable tool can engage the bolster of the movable li-ft post to adjust the position of the movable lift post. Although the structural details of the aforesaid Patent No. 3,106,988 need not be used, the instant invention may be considered as an improvement upon that structure since the use of a tool which must be extended considerably beneath the vehicle to be lifted in order to directly push or pull the movable l-ift post is now avoided. Although a tool is still required, it is much easier to use since the person using the tool need not reach underneath the vehicle and because considerable leverage is provided.

In accordance with this invention, the movable lift post 10 can be adjusted along the pit 12 by engaging surfaces of the forward cover plate 52 rather than by reaching by hand or with a tool underneath the vehicle to engage the bolster 18. As will be noted in FIGURE 1, a plurality of spaced small :holes or apertures 80 are placed along the longitudinal center line of the forward cover plate 52. The margins of the apertures 80 serve as detent surfaces engaged by a leverage tool, generally designated 82, and illustrated in detail in FIGURES 1 and 2. The leverage tool 82 includes an elongate rod or handle 84 at one end of which a cross rod or tool head 86 is connected, as by welding. The construction is preferably such that the longitudinal axis of the cross rod or tool head 86 is perpendicular to and coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the tool handle 84 and the rods 84 and 86 are joined at the longitudinal midpoint of the cross rod 86. To each end of the tool head 86 is connected a generally cylindrical actuating pin. For convenience, one of the pins is tenmed a drive pin '88 herein and the other is called a sliding pivot pin 90. As illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the lower ends, designated 92, of the pins '88 and 90 depend below the lower margin of the tool head 86 and have a tapered, generally conical surface.

The tool 82 is used in association with the apertures 80 and a fixed abutment plate 94 which rests upon the floor adjacent the pit '12. The plate 94 may be secured to the top face of one of the channel members 50. For strength, a bracket arm 96 is connected to, or integral with, the end of the plate 94 remote from the pit 12. The free end of the bracket arm 96 is welded to a metal strip 98 lying adjacent the pit for the control housing 24. Desirably, the abutment plate 94 has rounded, generally vertical side surfaces lying transversely to the longitudinal axis of the pit 12. The side sunfaces diverge upwardly and outwardly :to provide on each side of the plate 94, therefore, a surface which substantially mates with the tapered surface of the lower end 92 of the sliding pivot pin 90. For ease in manufacture, the plate 94 may comprise a half round rod with its flat surface uppermost. The two generally vertical side surfaces of the abutment plate 94 serve as abutment surfaces extending perpendicularly to the side margins of the pit 12. Accordingly, the sliding pivot pin 90, which is to the left in FIGURE 1, provides a longitudinally fixed pivot when held against one of the side surfaces of the plate 94. As apparent, with the tool 82 positioned as illustrated in full lines in FIGURE 1, the tool handle 84 may be manually pivoted about the sliding pivot pin 90 whereby the drive pin 88, which is on the right in FIGURE 1 and is inserted in one of the apertures 80, moves the plate 52 and, accordingly, the lift post 10 back and forth along a portion of the length of the pit 1-2. When in the full line position shown in FIGURE 1, the tool 82 is best used to move the lift post 10 to the left as viewed in FIGURE 1 by pivotal movement of the tool 82 in a generally counterclockwise direction about the sliding pivot pin 90 resting against the abutment 94. To move the lift post 10 to the right as viewed in FIGURE 1, the sliding pivot pin 90 is positioned as illustrated in phantom lines on the other side surface of the abutment 94. The tool 82 would then, of course, be moved in a generally clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the longitudinal axes of the pins 88 and 90 are parallel one to the other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cross rod or tool head 86. (The drive pin 88 cannot be seen in FIGURE 2 because it is directly behind the pivot pin 90.) The longitudinal axes of the pins 88 and 90 intersect the plane containing the longitudinal axes of the handle 84 and tool head 86 at oblique angles such that there is an obtuse angle between the depending portions 92 of the pins 88 and 90 and the aforesaid plane. Therefore, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3, the pins 88 and 90 will be vertically oriented while the free end of the tool handle 84 projects above the floor so that it may easily be grasped by the user of the lift installation. Also as shown in FIG- URE 3, the tool handle 84 extends only partially beneath the vehicle, designated V, to be lifted, if it extends beneath the vehicle at all.

The operation of the apparatus described herein has been briefly discussed above and is believed obvious. It should be noted that the tapered surface of the lower end 92 of the drive pin 88 aids in avoiding accidental slipping of the drive pin 88 out of an aperture 80. Similarly the lower end 92 of the sliding pivot pin 90 wedges against the generally vertical, but rounded, side surfaces of the abutment plate 94. The abutment plate 94 should be long enough to provide an abutment for the sliding pivot pin 90 throughout pivotal movement of the tool 82, thus maintaining an abutment which, although permitting lateral sliding movement of the pivot pin 90, is held fixed in relation to the longitudinally extending axis of the pit 12. The apertures should be sufficiently closely spaced that one aperture 80 will be in position to receive the drive pin 88 after the tool 82 has moved the plate 52 through a convenient distance when the drive pin 88 is located in an adjacent aperture 80. By oscillating the tool 82 first in one direction after inserting the drive pin 88 in any aperture 80, then in the op posite direction about the pivot pin after removing the drive pin 88 from the aforesaid aperture 80, and repeating the foregoing steps but using an adjacent aperture 80, the lift post 10 may be moved as far as desired along the pit 12. Since the tool handle 84 is quite long in comparison to the length of the tool head 86, it will be appreciated that a considerable leverage aids in moving the movable lift post 10 when using the tool 82. In fact, the leverage is so great that under certain circumstances the roller elements 64 will be unnecessary.

As will readily be understood, the apertures 80 may be spaced along paths on either side of the longitudinal centerline of the plate 52. The longitudinal centerline placement is preferred because it is desired to apply force directly to the center of the lift post 10. Also the centerline placement is convenient in designing the tool 82. For a given length of the tool handle 84, the leverage resulting from the differences in length between the tool handle 84 and the tool head 86 is adequate for an average pivotal and sliding movement of the tool 82. If the apertures 80 were closer to the abutment plate 94, the leverage would be increased, but the length of both the sliding and the pivotal movement of the tool 82 will also be increased. The opposite is true if the apertures 80 are placed further from the abutment plate 94. As will also be understood, the tool handle 82 need not be at the midpoint of the tool head 86. The midpoint position is preferred because of the resulting ease of positioning both of the pins 88 and 90.

As mentioned in the aforesaid Patent No. 3,106,988, provision may be made for hooking additional cover plates onto the free ends of the cover plates 52 and 54 to be used when the movable post 10 is moved close to one of the ends of the pit 12. If additional cover plates are to be hooked Onto the front cover plate 52, they should have apertures to be aligned with the apertures 80.

Although the presently preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of op eration, which generally stated consist in a device capale of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a vehicle lift installation of the type having a lift post mounted for sliding movement :along a floor pit, means for moving said lift post along said pit comprising: a plate connected to said lift post and at least partially overlying said pit, said plate having a plurality of detent surfaces spaced along the length thereof; a fixed abutment spaced horizontally from said detent surfaces and located beside and adjacent the top of said pit; and a manually operated leverage tool having horizontally spaced working surfaces simultaneously engaged with one of said detent surfaces and a surface portion of said fixed abutment, said leverage tool pivoting about a generally vertical axis against said fixed abutment when said plate is moved along said pit.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said detent surfaces define apertures in said plate and wherein the working surfaces of said leverage tool engaging said detent surfaces are surface portions of a drive pin inserted in selected ones of said apertures.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said apertures are spaced along the longitudinal centerline of said plate.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein said fixed abutment has rounded, upwardly divergent side surfaces and wherein the working surfaces of said leverage tool engaging said fixed abutment are surface portions of a pivot pin having a tapered surface adapted to wedge against one or the other of said side surfiaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE LIFT INSTALLATION OF THE TYPE HAVING A LIFT POST MOUNTED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG A FLOOR PIT, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LFIT POST ALONGSAID PIT COMPRISING: A PLATE CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT POST AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY OVERLYING SAID PIT, SAID PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF DETENT SURFACES SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF; A FIXED ABUTMENT SPACED HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID DETENT SURFACES AND LOCATED BESIDE AND ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID PIT; AND A MANUALLY OPERTED LEVERAGE TOOL HAVING HORIZONTALLY SPACED WORKING SURFACES SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGD WITH ONE OF SAID DETENT SURFACES AND A SURFACE PORTION OF SAID FIXED ABUTMENT, SAID LEVERAGE TOOL PIVOTING ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS AGAINST SAID FIXED ABUTMENT WHEN SAID PLATE IS MOVED ALONG SAID PIT. 